Nonrefillable bottle tapping device



Dec. 7, 1937. M GREENBAUM 2,101,471

NONREFILLABLE BOTTLE TAPPING DEVICE BY i ATTORNEY.

Dec. 7, 1937. M, GREENBAUM n 2,101,471

NONREFILLABLE BOTTLE yTAFPING DEVICE Filed May 2, 1936 '2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 7, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'l Claims.

This invention relates to a novel construction of non-refillable bottle tapping device; and the invention has for an object to provide an effective and easily manipulated tapping device for pierc- 5 ing the original sealed closures of bottles, without necessity for removal of said original closures; the device, when operatively applied to a bottle, being adapted to automatically lock itself thereto against removal except by destroying the bottle;

l and, when applied to the bottle, being further adapted to decant the content thereof, while nevertheless effectively resisting any attempt to refill the same therethrough.

This invention provides a tapping device, as

l `above characterized, which is especially useful in the liquor dispensing trade, since it may be used to tap and decant liquor bottles without necessity for removing the original closures and tax stamps therefrom, thus giving visible assurance to the customer that the original content has not been tampered with, or replaced with inferior or untaxed liquor; and since, after once being applied to a bottle, the device cannot be removed therefrom without destruction of the bottle, and since liquid cannot be passed inwardly therethrough for relling the wholly or partially emptied bottle, the bottle cannot be re-used after the original content has been decanted, and consequently a complete protection is afforded not only to the customer, but to the producer, distributors and Government as well, against any violation of the bottle or its original content.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularly enumerated, will be understood from the following detailed description of the same.

Illustrative embodiments of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a vertical longitudinal central section l of one form of the novel non-reflllable bottle tapping device according to this invention and as operatively applied to a bottle desired to be protected.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary part elevation and part vertical section to illustrate the manner in which a metal bottle closure cap may be pierced for entry of the device therethrough and into operative application to the bottle.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation ofthe exterior and of the device as applied to the bottle.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section, taken on line 4-4 in Fig. l', showing one form of means for locking the device against removal from the bottle to which it is applied; Fig. 51s a similar sectionalview, showing a modified form of said locking means, and Fig. 6 is a fragmentary vertical section, taken on line 6 6 in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view oi the device as apv plied to a bottle, showing the operation of the same when decanting the content of the bottle.

Fig. 8 is a view of the metal cap piercing means, arranged in the form of a tool separate from the tapping device per se.

Fig. 9 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1, but showing the tapping device equipped with means for piercing a cork bottle closure; Fig. 10 is a fragmentary transverse section, taken on line ID-ID in Fig. 9.

Fig. l1 is a view of the cork piercing means, arranged in the form of a tool separate from the tapping device per se.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above-described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, the novel bottle tapping device according to this invention comprises a cylindrical tubular main body I, provided in its walls, adjacent to its lower end, with vertical open slots 2. Pivotally mounted on a cross-pin 3 for outward swinging movement respectively in opposite directions for lateral extension through the respective slots 2 are lock tongues 4, the same being urged by spring means 5 to their outwardly swung, laterally projecting positions, as limited or stopped by engagement thereof with the bottom ends 6 of said slots 2. As thus arranged, said lock tongues 4 are upwardly yieldable, i.e. are capable of upward and inward swinging movement, and in fact, under given conditions, may be swung inwardly through said slots 2 and into connement within the tubular interior of said body I. Releasable means are provided for retaining the lock-tongues 4 in the last mentioned infolded positions, when it is desired so to do. This retaining means comprises a tubular latch sleeve 'I slidably arranged within the bore of body I adjacent to the upper end portions of the slots 2. Latch sleeve 'I is provided with a cross-bar 8 extending diametrically therethrough, and provided with an exteriorly projecting end portion 9 which rides in a guide slot IU provided in the wall of said body I. The extremity il of said end portion projects slightly beyond the external surface of said body I, for purposes to be subsequently referred to. The bottom of guide slot I0 limits the downward movement of said latch sleeve l, and the latter is yieldably held in said downwardly moved stopped position by means of a compression spring I I, which is arranged between the cross-bar 8 of said latch sleeve and a second cross-bar l2 secured to the bodyI and extending diametrically across the bore thereof. When the lock-tongues i are infolded, their chamfered extremities 4 pass under the latch sleeve 1, which yields upwardly to such movement, until the extremities are caught and held by descent of the latch sleeve thereover, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. l. In this manner, said lock tongues 4 are retained in infolded position for purposes to be hereinafter explained. In Figs. l and 4, the lock tongue arrangement is shown to comprise two oppositely and diametrically extending lock tongues; if desired, however, more than two lock tongues may be provided for radial extension, shown, e. g. in Figs. 5 and 5, wherein three lock tongues I3 are provided, each pivotally connected to the body I by its own pivoting pin I4, so as to swing outwardly through slots I5 provided in said body l therefor. Said lock tongues I3 are yieldingly thrust to outswung positions by a Vthrust disc element if: which is urged against the under sides of the inner end portions thereof by a compression spring I1 which is footed upon an end closing means of body I. OI course, more than three similarly arranged lock tongues may be employed if desired.

The walls of said body I, are provided with fluid passages or openings I8 affording communication from the exterior of said body into the internal tubular passage or bore I9 thereof.

Suitably secured to the upper end of body I, in any suitable manner calculated to prevent surreptitious removal and replacement thereof, is a substantially tubular head-piece provided with an inner annular shoulder 2i adapted to define an outflow-port 22, and to provide a. seat engageable by an outwardly opening check-valve 23. Preferably said check valve 23 is of the pivoted flap or swing valve typ-e, and is` furnished with a hinge knuckle 24 to turn on a pintle 25 which is alixed to the walls of said head-piece 20.

Aixed to the outer end of said head-piece 20 is a spigot member 26 which terminates in a laterally offset discharge nozzle 21. This spigot member 26 may, if desired, be made of glass, metal, molded plastic material or the like, and is secured to said head-piece 20 in such manner as to be irremovable therefrom. For example, it may be threaded to said head-piece 20 as shown at 28, and then sealed thereto by cementitlous material 29, seated in an annular sealing groove 30 intermediate the exterior body portion of the spigot member and the end of said headpiece. Rotatably mounted within the interior of said spigot member 25, to lie across the outlet provided by said discharge nozzle 21, is turbine or guard wheel 3I having a plurality of radial blades 32, which may be of curvilinear formation ii desired. Anchored to said head-piece 20 to extend into the interior of said spigot member 26, so that its free end is yieldingly engaged by the tips of the turbine or wheel blades 32, is a check-pawl element 33 adapted to oppose and prevent reverse rotation of said turbine or guard wheel 3i.

When the tapping device is to be used for tapping a bottle originally closed by a metallic cap, the body I is provided, along that section thereof intermediate 'the passages or openings I8 and the head-piece 2i), with an external stopper sleeve 34. This stopper sleeve is preferably made of cork, but may be made of any other suitable more or less resilient and liquid impervious material.

When the tapping device is tovbe used for tapping a bottle originally closed by' a metallic cap,

its lower end is provided with a metal cap piercing or cutting means. This means comprises a cutter head 35 having a screw-threaded shank 35 to screw into the lower endof body I, whereby it is firmly aflixed thereto. Projecting centrally from the underside of said cutter head 35 is an externally screw-threaded auger point 36 provided with a sharpened piercing extremity 31. Projecting from the lower peripheral edge of said cutter head are a plurality of circumferentially spaced downwardly projecting cutting blade portions 38 of less projective length than that of said auger point 3B.

When the tapping device, above described, is to be used for'tapping a bottle B originally closed by a metallic cap 39 (which may have extending over the same a tax stamp 40 as shown in Figs. l to 3 inclusive), the auger point 36 of the cutter head 35 is aligned with the center of cap 39 and its sharp extremity 31 is thrust downwardly therethrough, whereupon the device is turned about its longitudinal axis to engage the threads of auger point 36 with the metal of the cap, so that the turning operation will feed downward the cutter blade portions 38, as they revolve, whereby the same will cut through the body and lining of the cap, resulting in the formation of a circula-r opening 4I aligned with the bottle neck passage 42. When the cap has thus been cut through, the cut out portion 39 of the cap is iirst removed from the cutter head, whereupon the device is thrust downwardly through cap-opening 4I and bottle neck passage 42 so that its lower end penetrates into the interior of bottle B, with the stopper sleeve 34 tightly fitted into said bottle neck passage 42. As the lower end of body I of the device is passed downwardly through the bottle neck passage 42, the lock tongues 4 will pass downwardly therewith, the same yielding with upswinging movement so as to pass between the bottle walls. Once the free ends of said lock tongues pass the lower inner end of the bottle neck and emerge into the widened interior of the bottle body, the same will swing downwardly and outwardly to extend laterally beneath the shoulders 43 of said bottle body, hereby automatically locking the inserted mainY body I against withdrawal outwardly through the bottle neck passage 42 once it is in place. When the device is thus operatively applied to the bottle B the content of the latter may be deoanted therethrough. This is shown in Fig. 7, from which it will be seen that when the bottle is downturned, the liquid content thereof will iiow through the openings I8 and bore i9 of body i to pass on through port or opening 22, the checkvalve 23 swinging open to its outflowing pressure. The liquid thus delivered into the spigot member 26, strikes the blades 32 of turbine 3l whereby the latter, turning freely in counter-clockwise direction, permits the liquid to pass the same and thence to be discharged through the nozzle 21.

After the content of bottle B has been thus decanted, liquid cannot be forced inwardly therethrough for the reasons, first, that turbine 3i being restrained against reverse or clockwise rotation by the check-paw] 33, impedes inflow thereof, and, second, even though some liquid should escape inwardly beyond turbine 3I, check-valve 23 will close against its inow through port or opening 22. Furthermore, turbine 3| will prevent the insertion of wire or other instrumentality through nozzle 21 and thence past the turbine in an attempt to engage and hold open checkvalve 23, and consequently liquid could not be 'I5V forced through the device by any such attempted manipulation. The tapping device cannot be removed from the empty bottle, so as to permit of further use or relling thereof, since the locktongues 4 eifectually prevent, by abutment against the bottle shoulders 43, withdrawal of body I from the bottle neck; nor can any instrument be inserted through the device in an attempt to collapse the outspread lock-tongues 4 in furtherance of any attempt to remove the device from the bottle. As a consequence of this the bottle must be destroyed by breaking its body before the tapping device can be separated therefrom for renewed use on another bottle. To recover the tapping device from an empty bottle, the body of the bottle is broken. When the body is broken away from the bottle neck, the lock tongues 4 are made accessible and can be upwardly swung and infolded into the interior of the body l of the device; in which case the lock sleeve 1 will spiing over the free ends 4 of the locktongues 4 so `as to retain the same in such infolded positions. When the lock-tongues 4 are thus disposed and secured in infolded condition, it will be obvious that the body I may be outwardly drawn through the bottle neck passage, and thus separated from this remaining portion of the broken bottle. The device being thus recovered, the same may be applied to a new bottle in the same manner as hereinabove described, after first releasing the lock-tongues 4 from the infolding restraint oi lock sleeve 1; which sleeve may be released by pushing upward on the exposed extremity 9 of the cross bar 8, thereby retracting the sleeve 1 from holding engagement With the lock-tongue ends, so that the latter resume their operative outward and laterally projecting positions.

While I have shown the cutter head 35 arranged to form a permanent or contained part of the tapping device, and although I deem this to be the preferred and most convenient arrangement, it will, nevertheless, be obvious that it may be omitted therefrom and made in the form of a hand tool separate from the tapping device, but for use in preparation of a metal cap closed bottle for reception of the latter. Such hand tool form of the cutter means is shown in Fig. 8

of the drawings, wherein the cutter head 35 is v provided with a handle shank 44 having a transverse hand grip 45 at its upper end, and may be further provided with socketed guard element 4t to embrace the periphery of the bottle cap to align the tool therewith, said guard element being carried by the shank 44 which may rotate relative thereto.

When the tapping device is to be used in tapping a cork closed bottle, the same may be equipped with a cutter means adapted to such work, in place of the cutter head above described and which is especially adapted for cutting through a metal cap bottle closure. This is shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings, wherein the body I is provided at its lower extremity with a hollow cylindrical core cutter 41, having a sharpened annular cutting edge 48 at its free end. Said core cutter 41 is of the same diameter as the body I. In use, the core cutter may be forced against the cork closure 49 of a bottle and then rotated as it is forced downwardly through said cork, whereby an axial core 50 is cut out and removed from the cork body, leaving a passage through which the body of the tapping device may be thrust to operatively penetrate downwardly through the bottle neck passage 42 and into the interior of the bottle body. In this arrangement, the remaining annular portion of the cork 49 will seal the body I in the bottle neck, and consequently the separate stopper sleeve 34 is omitted from the body I of the device. In other respects the construction of the tapping device is the Ysame in form and functions in the same manner as already above described.

It will likewise be understood that core cutter 41 may be omitted as an attached part oi the device and provided in the form of a hand tool separate therefrom. This is shown in Fig. ll, wherein the core cutter 41 is provided With a handle shank 52 having a transverse hand grip 53 at its `upper end, and also having, if desired, a socketed guard element 54 similar in kind and purpose to that previously described.

I am aware that various changes could be made in the above described constructions, and that apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof; consequently it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:-

l. In a device of the kind described, a main body to extend through a bottle neck into the bottle interior, said body having an outgoing passage communicating with the bottle interior, means at the outer end of said body to prevent iniiow of liquid therethrough yet adapted to yield a liquid outiiow, upwardly yieldable spring pressed lock-tongues pivotally connected with the lower end portion of said body, means to limit the downward movement of said locktongues to an outwardly and laterally projected relation to said body for engagement beneath the bottle shoulders below the bottle neck thereby to inviolably secure the body in operative attachment to the bottle until the latter is destroyed, and a releasable latch means for holding said lock-tongues folded to inoperative positions within said body under certain conditions.

2. In a tapping device for insertion into a bottle through its neck portion, upwardly yieldable spring pressed lock-tongues pivotally connected with theinner end of said device, means to limit the downward movement of said locktongues to an outwardly and laterally projected relation to said device for engagement beneath the bottle shoulders below the bottle neck thereby to inviolably secure the body in operative attachment to the bottle until the latter is destroyed, and a releasable latch means for holding said lock-tongues folded to inoperative positions relative to said device under certain conditions.

3. Means for tapping a bottle through its original closure, comprising a cylindrical body having an outgoing passage to communicate with the bottle interior, a cutter means at the lower end of said body for perforating the original bottle closure to admit passage of said body therethrough, and expansible locking means connected with the inner end portion of said body for engagement beneath the bottle shoulders below the bottle neck thereby to inviolably secure the device in operative attachment to the bottle until the latter is destroyed.

4. Means for tapping a bottle through its original closure, comprising a cylindrical body having an outgoing passage to communicate with the bottle interior, means at the outer end of said body to prevent inflow of liquid therethrough yet adapted to yield to liquid outflow, a cutter means at the lower end of said body for perforating the original bottle closure to admit passage of said body therethrough, upwardly yieldable spring pressed lock-tongues pivotally connected with. the inner end portion of said body, means to limit the downward movement of said lock-tongues to an outwardly and laterally projected relation to said body for engagement beneath the bottle shoulders below the bottle neck thereby to inviolably secure the body in operative attachment to the bottle until the latter is destroyed, and a releasable latch means for holding said locktongues folded to inoperative positions within said body under certain conditions.

5. In a device of the kind described, a main body to extend through a bottle neck into the bottle interior, said body having an outgoing passage communicating with the bottle interior, a discharge spigot at the outer end of said body with which the outgoing passage of the latter communicates, a freely rotatable turbine within said discharge spigot and operative across the discharge nozzle thereof, in one direction to permit liquid outflow, and check-pawl means to restrain operation of said turbine in the opposite direction to prevent liquid inflow.

6. In a, device of the kind described',v a main bodyV to extend through a bottle neck into the bottle interior, said body having an outgoing passage communicating with the bottle interior, an outwardly opening check valve in said passage, a discharge. spigot at the outer end of said body adjacent to said check-valve, and a freely rotatable turbine within said discharge spigot to prevent tampering access to said check-valve through said spigot.

Means for tapping a bottle through its original closure, comprising a cylindrical body having an outgoing passage to communicate with the bottle interior an outwardly opening check Valve in said passage, a discharge spigot at the. outer end of said body adjacent to said check-Valve, a freely rotatable turbineV within said discharge spigot to prevent tampering access to said checkvalve through said spigot, a cutter means at the inner end of said body for perforating the original bottle closure to admit passage of said body therethrough, and expansible locking means connected with the inner end portion of said body for engagement beneath the bottle shoulders below the bottle 'neck thereby to inviolably secure said body in operative attachment to the bottle until the latter is destroyed'.

MARTIN GREENBAUM. 

